Dr Garry E Hunt

Wimbledon

Non Executive Director & Chairman

This topic has brought the usual naive emotional comments from both the business and technical camps, who are defending today’s situation and not considering the future.

In the first place IT projects do not exist as there are only business projects enabled by the appropriate IT solutions. The business must have financial and management control and therefore the skills too to perform this role. Therefore companies require business people with an understanding of technology so they can contribute to the discussions and technical staff who understand the business activities. We must not have two separate camps. The most successful companies are those who interchange business staff with those who have a primary technical role. This also means they must develop a common language so all parties, including senior management and the Board members, can then contribute to the discussions. Until we reach this situation with associated accountability from all involved parties, companies will continue to have projects involving IT which over run in time and budget and fail to deliver the expected results. I am still amazed that this situation is worse than several decades ago.

Gartner’s comment may be an over statement, but they have focussed attention of this crucial matter. I do believe we need urgently a better mix of business and technical skills supported by a common language if companies are to have the flexibility to gain competitive advantage from IT.